No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsCrimePHOTOS: A look back at how Guatemalan citizens demanded justice – and...

PHOTOS: A look back at how Guatemalan citizens demanded justice – and won

Each Saturday for five straight months, Guatemalans gathered in the capital’s Plaza de la Constitución to demand the resignation of then-President Otto Pérez Molina, accused of being the mastermind behind a massive customs fraud mafia known as “La Línea,” as reported by the daily Prensa Libre and other media around the world.

Citizens of all stripes across Guatemala joined in the demonstrations in their own cities and villages, linked by social media and hashtags like #YoNoTengoPresidente (“I don’t have a president”). And in dramatic fashion, in the span of a few short days this week, the Guatemalan Congress voted to strip Pérez Molina of his immunity from prosecution in the ongoing corruption probe. Pérez Molina resigned just before midnight on Wednesday, and Congress accepted his resignation on Thursday, swearing in 79-year-old Alejandro Maldonado as the country’s new president.

Not long after, also on Thursday, a judge ordered Pérez Molina held in provisional prison pending the continuance of a criminal hearing on whether he will formally face a corruption trial. That hearing is scheduled to continue on Tuesday, and Pérez Molina – who has gone from Guatemala City’s Presidential Palace to the Matamoros military prison – will spend Sunday’s general elections behind bars, a hard-fought victory for many of the country’s advocates for justice.

Here’s a look back in photos of that dramatic, tenacious and peaceful protest movement that since April has been inspiring the world.

Trending Now

Costa Rica Anglers Catch Rare Orange and Albino Nurse Shark

Anglers on a fishing trip off Costa Rica's Caribbean coast caught a nurse shark unlike any seen before: bright orange skin and stark white...

Route 32 Reopens Following Preventive Closure Over Landslide Risk

Route 32, which connects San José with Limón, was reopened this morning after being closed for nearly 12 hours as a preventive measure due...

Honduras Community Demands Justice in Environmental Murder Case

Three defendants accused of murdering an environmental activist in Honduras 11 months ago appeared before a court this Thursday for a preliminary hearing, the...

Costa Rica’s Role in US Deportation Drama with Salvadoran Migrant

A Salvadoran man at the center of a heated US immigration battle could end up in Costa Rica if he accepts a guilty plea,...

Guatemala Prisons Erupt in Violence With Guards and Workers Taken Hostage

Gang members rioted this Friday in two prisons in Guatemala and took several guards and civilian employees hostage, a week after uprisings in which...

Costa Rica Issues Green Weather Alert as Heavy Rains Expected

The National Emergency Commission (CNE) has declared a green weather alert across Costa Rica due to the expected increase in rainfall over the coming...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica